Tuesday, September 30, 2014

After breakfast went by North American College* and picked up ticket for audience with Pope. We then went to Vatican City -- bought some stamps, saw the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. Only had about 1.5 hours so quickest trip on record. Saw St. Peter's (very beautiful inside with many side altars and beautiful ceilings and domes). Ate lunch at American Catholic Club. ** Came back to hotel and got ready to go to Castel Gandolfo (Pope's summer home). Rode a city bus out there and saw the Pope. He spoke in several different languages -- Italian, Spanish, French, English, and German -- but I couldn't understand English because of terrible loudspeaker system. He gave us a Papal blessing which I hope blessed my crucifix. *** Came back to Rome on a bus packed like a can of sardines. Tight squeeze. Went to opera and saw Cavilleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. Opera better than Met in that thing weren't so perfect. Both were wonderful. The only sour note to me was people on stage were obviously looking at man on box on stage. Music & voices were good.

The obelisk in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the photo above is from Egypt (c. 2494 BC – 2345 BC) and was originally moved to Alexandria and then to the Circus of Nero in Rome in the first century AD. It was moved to its present site in 1586. Below is a close-up of the entry, with the statue of St. Peter to the left.